The day before Canada Day, Justin Schultz wanted to wave the Maple Leaf.

He narrowed his list of teams to half a dozen–Edmonton, Ottawa, Toronto, Vancouver, Minnesota and the Rangers–and decided he wanted to be an Oiler. For a team that didn’t win nearly enough games in the winter to finish29th in a 30-team league, it was a huge win in the summer. They beat out everybody to get the prize free-agent defenceman.

The Oilers, who out-lasted the Senators for the U of Wisconsin defenceman, brought out the heavy batting order in their sales pitch to the youngster in Toronto last Thursday. Along with president Kevin Lowe, VP of hockey ops Craig MacTavish, GM Steve Tambellini, coach Ralph Krueger and winger Taylor Hall, they went deep, getting Wayne Gretzky and Paul Coffey to call.

“I don’t think I said one word when they called. I was in shock,” admitted Schultz, who grew up in Kelowna, a Vancouver Canucks’ fan, but knows his history. “For them to even take the time to call me, that’s something I’ll never forget.”

Schultz, who phoned all the losers to tell them sorry (a classy move), didn’t decide on the Oilers Saturday afternoon because of the glory names of the past, though. He picked them over the Senators and everybody else because of Hall and Jordan Eberle and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Nail Yakupov and an acquaintance Sam Gagner.

“You look at their young core of talent players and prospects and it’s a group you’d like to play a long time with and hopefully have some success with them,” said Schultz, well aware that Gretzky, Coffey, Mark Messier, Jari Kurri, Glenn Anderson, Lowe, Grant Fuhr and the others were all about the same age when the Oiler great days started in the early 80s. “I want to be part of a young group here and if I make the team, hopefully we’ll be pretty close and hopefully we’ll bring the Cup here.”

Schultz was drafted by Anaheim in 2008 (round two) but after a year in the B.C. Junior League and three years at U of Wisconsin, he had the CBA loophole of becoming a free-agent, if he chose. He wanted to play somewhere else. “I grew up in Canada and in the back of my mind I wanted to play in Canada. I remember the Oilers’ Cup in 2006 though and was jumping on the bandwagon and getting chills. Looking at the video of the cool atmosphere there was pretty awesome. I can’t wait to put the Oilers jersey on,” said Schultz, who wore No. 6 in college (Ryan Whitney’s number) but will take anything they give him. He’ll be here Sunday for a look-see and a presser but won’t be on the ice at Oilers development camp at Millennium Place.

Schultz, who had impending Hall of Famer Scott Niedermayer, who works for the Ducks, trying to convince him to stay in Anaheim, was treated very well by that organization. But his heart was in Canada. “Nothing against them. I really enjoyed my time with them, and going to their camps. Lots of good people there. But it came down to me having the option to choose where I wanted to play. To play in Canada was a huge thing for me,” he said.

Not signing with the Canucks was “a very difficult decision but I’m sure my parents are happy anywhere I play. Plus, my uncle lives in Edmonton. He works for the airlines. He’s a huge Oilers’ fan.”

The Leafs also had Jake Gardiner, his college defence partner for two years, as a perk for Schultz. And the Rangers had Derek Stepan and Ryan McDonagh, who other U of Wisconsin teammates. But, that didn’t sway him. “My good buddy Jake plays for the Leafs. We’d talked about it (being partners again) but it comes down to what’s the best fit for me,” he said.

Schultz went out of his way to say he was blown away by new Oilers’ coach Ralph Krueger, too in the Oilers sales pitch. Krueger is a motivational speaker, of course. “When he was talking to me I was all fired up. I was getting chills,” said Schultz, who was the best college defenceman the past two years and almost surely has a spot in the top six here, although he went out of his way to say nothing was promised him. No guarantees, which is the way he wants it.

He’s a hockey player. They compete for jobs and wins.

First pairing, second, third, who knows? But if he shows what he did in college, he’ll be on the powerplay somewhere. He’s an excellent puck-mover. We’re not talking Coffey here, but most of the teams in the league wanted a shot at Schultz before he narrowed the field to a short list for their presentations. If it turned into a bit of a circus, that wasn’t his idea.

The decision took longer than an election of a Pope, after teams made their sales pitch to Schultz Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, but after an emotional day waiting by the phone Saturday, Schultz gave the Oilers the last call. In this bidding war, it wasn’t about the money. The most he’ll make is a $925,000 salary, which includes a $92,500 signing bonus, and performance clauses that could get him another $2.8 million, if he achieves them all. And it was only a two-year committment as an entry-level player. In the end, Schultz liked the extras the Oilers were selling.

“Waiting for this decision was like waiting for Christmas,” said Tambellini. “You’re thinking about what you could get but you can’t open the presents until the next day. It’s very hard to wait. I came into the room where our scouts were preparing for tomorrow (July 1 free-agency) and there was a big cheer. Justin was talking to Craig (MacTavish). What a way to start the free-agency period.”

“Justin put himself in a position where he could make any choice he wanted and it wasn’t a financial decision. Every team was offering the same contract. He chose the Oilers and that speaks volumes about our team, where we can go, the projection of what we can take place. It’s confirmation that things are happening,” said Tambellini.

The Oilers and every team in the bidding was guaranteeing Schultz ample playing time. The Oilers maybe had more opportunity because their current back-end has few puck-movers outside of Whitney, trying to bounce back from his foot problems, and Jeff Petry. He’ll get powerplay point time, for sure. The Oilers didn’t promise Hall, who was at the Schultz presentation in Toronto, or Nugent-Hopkins, two first overall picks, anything coming to their first camps but as Tambellini said “Justin is coming up 22. He’s more mature. Those kids were 18. Ralph’s (coach Krueger) already got diagrams where Justin could play. He’ll step in right away and contribute.”

The fact Coffey played an offensive, get the puck up the ice style, just like Schultz, probably didn’t hurt in his chat with Schultz. “His dad or grandfather might have had to tell Justin who I was, though,” joked Coffey, who broke in with the Oilers about 30 years ago, long before Schultz was born.

There’s a lot of heat on the kid to step in right away and be an impact player, but Tambellini said Schultz is a confident kid. “You talk to his agents and Justin was the one driving this bus. He made the calls. That speaks to his character. This could be overwhelming for a young player but he’s handled it,” said Tambellini.

With Schultz in the fold, does this mean they don’t have to pursue, say, Florida’s Jason Garrison or Philadelphia’s Matt Carle–two older offensive defencemen–Sunday? Yes. It likely backs them off that train. “Are we still trying for ways to better our club? Yes? But this is a significant addition for our club,” said Tambellini.

***

Tambellini said he was having one last talk with winger Ryan Smyth after his Justin Schultz presser to see if they can get a one or two-year contract hammered out to keep the 36-year-old forward here, but his agent Don Meehan said about midnight Saturday that they would talk again Sunday morning with free-agency opening at 10 am MDT. Smyth had 46 points last year but his points dropped off in the second half. They likely see him as a third-line player now, with second powerplay work.

It is interesting that Schultz is represented by the same Newport Sports firm as Smyth.

***Lost in the Schultz pursuit, the Oilers signed their 2011 second-round defence pick David Musil to a three-year entry-level deal. Musil, son of Oilers scout and former player Frank Musil, will likely be back for another junior season with the Vancouver Giants. He factors in as a shutdown pro.

***

The Oilers could use a feisty presence on a fourth line like free-agent Jordin Tootoo or Brandon Prust, but the Oilers won’t be as aggressive as they were last July 1 when they got Ben Eager, Darcy Hordichuk and Eric Belanger, and traded Kurtis Foster for Andy Sutton for more muscle. There could be some deals, though. The Oilers have too many forwards, and with Schultz here, they’re loaded on the back-end. Don’t be surprised if there’s a deal Sunday.

“We could turn our attention to the secondary market (third and fourth-line guys). But this year (free-agency around the league) there could be more trades than signing of free-agent players. We’ve built up our depth and as time goes on you can’t keep everybody,” acknowledged Tambellini, who has to sign Gagner and defencman Theo Peckham, both restricted free-agents. They’ve had good discussions on Sam Gagner, who is their No. 2 centre on the depth chart right now. “Sam is a good young player, no question,” he said.

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